Anscombe’s quartet-from Data Visualization by Healy
Clearly, looking at data helps
Helps the build intuitive understanding of the data
Identify patterns, sometimes expected, sometimes unexpected
Convey a lot of information in a concise an accessible and memorable manner
All the points are true for the people generating as well as consuming a visualization
Can we identify an effective vs a bad visualization
Napolean’s retreat from Russia by Minard-from Data Visualization by Healy
`Monstrous Costs’ by Nigel Holmes-from Data Visualization by Healy
Can we identify an effective vs a bad visualization
Rainfall in Glasgow and Edinbrugh-from Cara Thompson’s More than pretty graphs
Rainfall in Glasgow and Edinbrugh-from Cara Thompson’s More than pretty graphs
Tufte on Visualization
“Graphical excellence is the well-designed presentation of interesting data—a matter of substance, of statistics, and of design … [It] consists of complex ideas communicated with clarity, precision, and efficiency. … [It] is that which gives to the viewer the greatest number of ideas in the shortest time with the least ink in the smallest space … [It] is nearly always multivariate … And graphical excellence requires telling the truth about the data. (Tufte, 1983, p. 51).”
Markers of a good visualization
Not just about how it looks, though this makes the graph memorable
Depends who is looking at it
Why are thy looking at it - what is expected out of the chart
Essentially, you need both, good taste as well as an understanding of how human visual perception works. The latter can be learned with practice and in relatively less time than the first. Good taste needs to be developed and it takes time.
A discussion on this figure
reference to NYT graph-from Data Visualization by Healy
Identifying features of bad visualizations
The following problems are distinct but can appear in in various combinations in a given figure.
Strictly Aesthetic
Substantive - the data presented is somehow off
Perceptual
Back to Democracy - what are the good things?
reference to NYT graph-from Data Visualization by Healy
What if I tell you
These are are not the responses from a longitudinal survey
Actually, it is the same question asked to people born in different decades, i.e., different age groups.
Cherry on top it was not a binary question
Identifying substantive problems require understanding of underlying data of a chart, being observant of any transformations and consequent effects, etc..
A good samaritan
Voeten’s response to NYT graph-from Data Visualization by Healy
One for the finance bros
Liz Ann Sonders, Chief Investment Strategist with Charles Schwab, Inc,-from Data Visualization by Healy
What if it was shown this way
Healy’s examples for possible manipulations from Data Visualization by Healy
Healy’s examples for possible manipulations from Data Visualization by Healy
How to address such issues - Healy’s Alternative
Healy’s Alternative to the index vs money base chart from Data Visualization by Healy